Minor League Discussion & Boxes 6-22-12

[davell]

Candelario! Another homer.

let the hype begin.

 

Begin? I think there were a lot of us who were considering putting him top 10 last year. Of course that was more an indictment of the farm and a guy who had plate discipline in farm filled with free swingers.

 

I stand by yesterday's comment, as far as position prospects go the Cub's farm can compete with any other team.

I need someone with far more knowledge on this to help me out here. How excited should I be now about this guy? I want to be fired up.

Ben Badler thought he was the top prospect in the DSL last year. He's 18 and was born in New York, but moved to the Dominican. BA just said if he were in this draft, he'd have been a 1st rounder. Solid fielder, but definitely could outgrow 3B, could end up in LF or at 1B. Great discipline, switch hitter. Has far more pop as a lefty. Thought he'd grow into some power. This is probably a bit unexpected. Great numbers in DSL last year, great numbers in EXST this year, AZPhil thought he had legit chance to start season in Peoria. Got a 500K bonus from us when he signed.

[Tryptamine]

Candelario! Another homer.

let the hype begin.

 

Begin? I think there were a lot of us who were considering putting him top 10 last year. Of course that was more an indictment of the farm and a guy who had plate discipline in farm filled with free swingers.

 

I stand by yesterday's comment, as far as position prospects go the Cub's farm can compete with any other team.

i'm just talking national hype. He was in or around most of our top 10 lists already.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but if he has a good year I don't think it would be completely unrealistic to see him sneak into the top 100 or at least honorable mention. I know short season ball stats are usually taken with a grain of salt, but he's already getting a bit of national notoriety.

[davell]

Candelario! Another homer.

let the hype begin.

 

Begin? I think there were a lot of us who were considering putting him top 10 last year. Of course that was more an indictment of the farm and a guy who had plate discipline in farm filled with free swingers.

 

I stand by yesterday's comment, as far as position prospects go the Cub's farm can compete with any other team.

I need someone with far more knowledge on this to help me out here. How excited should I be now about this guy? I want to be fired up.

Ben Badler thought he was the top prospect in the DSL last year. He's 18 and was born in New York, but moved to the Dominican. BA just said if he were in this draft, he'd have been a 1st rounder. Solid fielder, but definitely could outgrow 3B, could end up in LF or at 1B. Great discipline, switch hitter. Has far more pop as a lefty. Thought he'd grow into some power. This is probably a bit unexpected. Great numbers in DSL last year, great numbers in EXST this year, AZPhil thought he had legit chance to start season in Peoria. Got a 500K bonus from us when he signed.

[El Duderino]

Goldstein had him 7 before this year.

[rawaction]

Baez with two 3-pitch Ks today. Is it weird that he only has 1 double? You'd expect someone with the power he has shown so far to have more doubles. I wonder if he's a little pull happy right now and not using the middle of the field and shooting the ball gap to gap.

[Guest]

Del Valle's outing is done. 6 perfect, 11 K's. Wow.

 

Then Figueroa comes in and blows the perfecto, no-hitter, AND shutout.

 

wasn't a perfect outing... he hit two batters. one of whom was chase utley.

 

A day after Austin Kirk hit him.

[rawaction]

Smokies shutout on a 2-hitter. Lake and Adducci with singles (Lake promptly thrown out trying to steal).

 

The guy I hyped up has gone in the tank. Jae Hoon Ha 0-21 in his last 5 games. 2 for 37 in his last 9, with 8Ks.

[Guest]

Candelario! Another homer.

let the hype begin.

 

Begin? I think there were a lot of us who were considering putting him top 10 last year. Of course that was more an indictment of the farm and a guy who had plate discipline in farm filled with free swingers.

 

I stand by yesterday's comment, as far as position prospects go the Cub's farm can compete with any other team.

I need someone with far more knowledge on this to help me out here. How excited should I be now about this guy? I want to be fired up.

Ben Badler thought he was the top prospect in the DSL last year. He's 18 and was born in New York, but moved to the Dominican. BA just said if he were in this draft, he'd have been a 1st rounder. Solid fielder, but definitely could outgrow 3B, could end up in LF or at 1B. Great discipline, switch hitter. Has far more pop as a lefty. Thought he'd grow into some power. This is probably a bit unexpected. Great numbers in DSL last year, great numbers in EXST this year, AZPhil thought he had legit chance to start season in Peoria. Got a 500K bonus from us when he signed.

 

This is BA's write-up on Candelario in their top 20 DSL prospect list:

 

Jeimer Candelario, 3b, Cubs

Age: 18. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 180. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2010.

Candelario was born in the U.S. but moved to the Dominican Republic, where he signed with the Cubs in October 2010 for $500,000 out of the Arias and Goodman academy. Candelario came as advertised in his pro debut in the DSL, showing the offensive upside that drew the Cubs to him as well as some of the defensive shortcomings he'll need to address. Candelario's offensive numbers were among the best in the league, as he shows the potential to hit for average, get on base at a high rate and hit for power. Candelario has good bat speed, uses the whole field and has the plate discipline to manage his at-bats and lay off pitches outside the strike zone. He's a switch-hitter who's more advanced from the left side. Candelario has strong hands, a thick frame and showed flashes of his power potential last year. Where he ends up defensively is still up in the air. He has a good arm but doesn't run well, his actions in the field aren't fluid and he could move over to first base at some point. He was impressive during his time in the U.S. at instructional league and will likely stay in extended spring training until the Arizona League season begins.

 

If he puts up a ~.900 OPS in the NWL, I think Candelario makes top 100 lists.

[Guest]

Brian Smith gets the start for Mesa, Dan Vogelbach is batting clean up.

[davell]

Vogelbach singled in his first at bat of the season.

[rawaction]

Jay Jackson up to minute stats:

 

As a starter: 9.23 ERA, 4.5 BB/9, 14.2 H/9, 1.8 HR/9, 7.0 K/9

As a reliever: 1.86 ERA, 2.8 BB/9, 7.4 H/9, 0.47 HR/9, 10.3 K/9

 

Seriously, he needs to never start again. He's not a good enough or so inexperienced that he needs innings at this point. Something may be able to be salvaged with him in relief.

[rawaction]

Brett Jackson getting his Adam Dunn on. 2 BBs, 2 Ks, 1 HR in 5 PAs.

 

Rizzo RBI double vs. LHP. 3-5, 2 runs, 3 RBIs. HR away from the cycle. 2 people get on, he gets a shot for it....though I'd imagine he'll be taken out of the game with a 12-2 lead.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Up-to-the-minute update:

 

OPS

 

Josh Vitters .821

Brett Jackson .820

 

I don't know why I have such a compulsive need to compare the two, but I do.

[Guest]

Rock Shoulders has come up to the plate 4 times. He's walked twice and struck out twice.

[TruffleShuffle]

Rock Shoulders has come up to the plate 4 times. He's walked twice and struck out twice.

 

10 bb, 11 k in 7 games. he's our two true outcomes player.

[CubsWin]

16 year old LHP Carlos Rodriguez has had an intriguing start to his DSL career. In his first 4 games (3 starts) his line reads 21 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 24 K, with a .160 opp avg. He doesn't turn 17 for about another month. He signed for $120,000 last summer. Someone to watch.

[TruffleShuffle]

16 year old LHP Carlos Rodriguez has had an intriguing start to his DSL career. In his first 4 games (3 starts) his line reads 21 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 24 K, with a .160 opp avg. He doesn't turn 17 for about another month. He signed for $120,000 last summer. Someone to watch.

 

hell i hopped on that bandwagon after his second start. didn't know what his signing bonus was but sometimes you can hit it big on those raw lower bonus guys (castro, pie). nice to see him pitching so well against older competition and missing plenty of bats.

[CubsWin]

Vitters hasn't taken a walk in his last 6 games, but he has been hit twice so...

[davell]

16 year old LHP Carlos Rodriguez has had an intriguing start to his DSL career. In his first 4 games (3 starts) his line reads 21 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 24 K, with a .160 opp avg. He doesn't turn 17 for about another month. He signed for $120,000 last summer. Someone to watch.

 

hell i hopped on that bandwagon after his second start. didn't know what his signing bonus was but sometimes you can hit it big on those raw lower bonus guys (castro, pie). nice to see him pitching so well against older competition and missing plenty of bats.

He's smallish(under 6ft) and doesn't hit 90. More of a "knows how to pitch) guy. Keeps me from getting too excited over him. Your other guy is the one I want to know more about. Paulino is 6'2 at least, so he's got a projectable frame. No one has answered a question from me yet on him, so I've got no clue what he throws. But he's the pitcher, for now anyway, until we find out stuff, to keep an eye on down there.

[davell]

Amaya with a 4-4, 2 steal game for Boise.

[JockJones]

Vitters hasn't taken a walk in his last 6 games, but he has been hit twice so...

 

And he's also hit .450ish in those 6 games.

[17 Seconds]

Baez with two 3-pitch Ks today. Is it weird that he only has 1 double? You'd expect someone with the power he has shown so far to have more doubles. I wonder if he's a little pull happy right now and not using the middle of the field and shooting the ball gap to gap.

 

half of his doubles were wiped out by rain

[CubsWin]

16 year old LHP Carlos Rodriguez has had an intriguing start to his DSL career. In his first 4 games (3 starts) his line reads 21 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 24 K, with a .160 opp avg. He doesn't turn 17 for about another month. He signed for $120,000 last summer. Someone to watch.

 

hell i hopped on that bandwagon after his second start. didn't know what his signing bonus was but sometimes you can hit it big on those raw lower bonus guys (castro, pie). nice to see him pitching so well against older competition and missing plenty of bats.

He's smallish(under 6ft) and doesn't hit 90. More of a "knows how to pitch) guy. Keeps me from getting too excited over him. Your other guy is the one I want to know more about. Paulino is 6'2 at least, so he's got a projectable frame. No one has answered a question from me yet on him, so I've got no clue what he throws. But he's the pitcher, for now anyway, until we find out stuff, to keep an eye on down there.

I knew he was 5'11" but had no scouting report on him. Thanks for the info davell. Since he's the age of a junior in high school, isn't there still a good chance he adds some ticks?

 

Jose Paulino on the year: 15 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 21 K. Meh...

[Guest]

16 year old LHP Carlos Rodriguez has had an intriguing start to his DSL career. In his first 4 games (3 starts) his line reads 21 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 24 K, with a .160 opp avg. He doesn't turn 17 for about another month. He signed for $120,000 last summer. Someone to watch.

If he's 16 and signed last summer the Cubs are going to be in trouble.

[CubsWin]

Vitters hasn't taken a walk in his last 6 games, but he has been hit twice so...

 

And he's also hit .450ish in those 6 games.

Not knocking him. Just making a joke.

 

I'm one of the more hopeful for Vitters on this board. But the guy needs to see more pitches (3.12 per PA). If he did that, I'd be even more hopeful. Among Cub minor league hitters, the only one who sees less pitches per plate appearance is Nate Samson. Imagine how Vitters' hit tool would serve him if he were more selective.